Well, far between sundown's finish and midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashin'
As majestic bells of boats struck shadows in the sun;
Sayin', it may be the chimes of freedom flashin'
Flashin' for the warriors whose strength is not to fight;
Flashin' for the refugees on their unarmed road of flight.
And for each and every underdog soldier in the night
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'
Well, in the city's melted furnace unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden here while the walls were tightenin'
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowing rain;
Dissolved into the wild bales of lightnin'
Yeah, tollin' for the rebel, yeah, tollin' for the raked
Tollin' for the luckless, the abandoned and forsaked.
Yeah, tollin' for the outcasts burnin' constantly at stakes
And we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'
Oh yeah! (instrumental solo)
And then through a cloud-like curtain in a far off corner flashed
There's a hypnotic, splattered mist was slowly liftin'
Well, electric light still struck like arrows
Fired but for the ones condemned to drift or else be kept from driftin'
Well, tollin' for the searching ones on this speechless, secret trail
For the lonesome haunted lovers with too personal a tale.
And for each young heart for each channeled soul misplaced inside a jail
Yeah, we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'
Well, starry eyed and laughin' I recall when we were caught,
Trapped by an old track of vows for the hands suspended
As we listened one last time, and we watched with one last look
Spellbound and swallowed "Has the tollin' ended?"
Yeah, tollin' for the achin' ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless, confused, accused, misused strung out ones at worst.
And for every hung out person in the whole wide universe
We gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashin'